Is there a better bargain than the $56 Nobsound Passive Preamp?

rollo · « **Reply #180 on:** 22 Jan 2019, 05:19 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 22 Jan 2019, 03:58 pm

I got the Hong Kong passive in and how very nice. I will call it the HKP for short.

Build quality, much better than the NBobsound and Tisbury. It is about 3-4 times larger than the Nobsound and 2-3 times larger than the Tisbury. If you hook a lot of cables up, much less likely to move around. Out of the box, the HKP sounded equal to the Tisbury. While breaking in, it has surpassed the Tisbury. The HKP has audiophile grade wiring, the Tisbury does not.

Instead of buying one Tisbury for $200, get two HKP for $200 and run them dual mono. This passive is a huge steal at only $99.

Yes two is better than one. I'm a dual mono kind of Guy.

charles

mr_bill · « **Reply #181 on:** 22 Jan 2019, 06:08 pm »

Is the HKP the unit you linked to on Ebay?

OzarkTom · « **Reply #182 on:** 23 Jan 2019, 05:24 am »

Quote from: mr_bill on 22 Jan 2019, 06:08 pm

Is the HKP the unit you linked to on Ebay?

Yes

mr_bill · « **Reply #183 on:** 23 Jan 2019, 03:43 pm »

Does a passive pre like you are linking add gain or can only cut gain from the source?

OzarkTom · « **Reply #184 on:** 24 Jan 2019, 09:34 am »

No gain added. that is why passives are so great in SQ.

hifix · « **Reply #185 on:** 29 Jan 2019, 07:34 pm »

I'm running a passive pre (shunt) with a takman rex as the series element.

Tried a few other resistors, but this one (to my ears) comes up top. Most of the time.

maty · « **Reply #186 on:** 31 Jan 2019, 07:57 am »

by maf_au

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/314563-aksas-lender-preamp-40vpp-output-post5681698.html

Quote

The cheap DACT type attenuator finally arrived today. Sounds a bit better than the ALPS [green RK9] Potentiometer. Have them set so can swap them easy to test them.

Still waiting for the Mundorf Caps. Might add some caps (10u0, C1022,C1032) while waiting. If I run the volume up, the sound is crackling!!!

maplegrovemusic · « **Reply #187 on:** 1 Feb 2019, 10:45 pm »

Can someone help with getting more volume from the knob sound . I can max out the volume on softer recordings . Would the resistor being replaced with a different value help ? If so what value ? Thanks,mike.

lacro · « **Reply #188 on:** 10 Feb 2019, 08:26 pm »

I have always wanted to try the cheap DACT type attenuator that seems to get good reviews, so I added one to an input selector box I built awhile ago. My new cheap and cheerful 3 input passive preamp sounds really good with the DACT type attenuator.

Cacophonix · « **Reply #189 on:** 11 Feb 2019, 06:49 am »

I listened to behringer monitor2usb monitor controller with emotiva stealth 8, and i thought it sounded fantastic for ~$150. Not sure what type of volume control is used inside, but it moves in discrete steps like stepped attenuator.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MONITOR2USB--behringer-monitor2usb

Description says that that it uses voltage controlled amplifier which to me means that it is similar to the gain knob on some of the amplifiers. I thought that sound was clean devoid of any hiss, and very dynamic with tons of details and bass. Pair it with a nice balanced dac (massdrop sells one for $150), and you've an absolutely cheap and very cheerful unit.

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #190 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 10:07 am »

I've been listening to the HKP for a few weeks now and it's everything I hoped it would be. It's quite large for a passive but exudes quality. The pot is velvety smooth with nice detent. No need for me to ever look at other passives.

lacro · « **Reply #191 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 01:45 pm »

I think that the HKP passive sounds so good because it uses the DACT type attenuator It's the exact same attenuator I used for the one I built which came from the same E-bay seller. It's a pretty easy build for about $50 to build one with 3 inputs using the Glassware Audio selector switch which has it's own PCB to facilitate wiring.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DACT-Type-SMD-Stepped-Attenuator-21-step-volume-control/190844814249?epid=1131603722&hash=item2c6f3cc3a9:g:sCIAAOxyg6BR3Eaj&frcectupt=true

https://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/inseswandpcb.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-76-35mm-Aluminum-PCB-Instrument-Box-Enclosure-Electronic-Project-Case-Black/323357474036?

https://www.alliedelec.com/product/neutrik/nys367-2/70549464/?

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #192 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 08:23 pm »

Quote from: lacro on 11 Mar 2019, 01:45 pm

I think that the HKP passive sounds so good because it uses the DACT type attenuator It's the exact same attenuator I used for the one I built which came from the same E-bay seller. It's a pretty easy build for about $50 to build one with 3 inputs using the Glassware Audio selector switch which has it's own PCB to facilitate wiring.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DACT-Type-SMD-Stepped-Attenuator-21-step-volume-control/190844814249?epid=1131603722&hash=item2c6f3cc3a9:g:sCIAAOxyg6BR3Eaj&frcectupt=true

https://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/inseswandpcb.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-76-35mm-Aluminum-PCB-Instrument-Box-Enclosure-Electronic-Project-Case-Black/323357474036?

https://www.alliedelec.com/product/neutrik/nys367-2/70549464/?

How difficult would it be to make one with remote capability?

wushuliu · « **Reply #193 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 08:57 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 11 Mar 2019, 08:23 pm

How difficult would it be to make one with remote capability?

Very. That is to say, not possible.

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #194 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 11:02 pm »

Quote from: wushuliu on 11 Mar 2019, 08:57 pm

Very. That is to say, not possible.

Thanks. Going back to the channel imbalance issue with certain passives, is it just a lack of synergy with some systems or is it the quality of the passive itself? I’ve had a Schiit Saga that has always had some amount of channel imbalance and recently it’s pretty bad where the left channel is around 3 db’s louder than the right at any volume level. I sent it to Schiit recently because the tube output was not working and told them about the left channel and when I got it back it still registers the 3 dB difference.

When I use a cheap Little Bear passive I get the right channel louder at around 1.5 dB. Same amp and dac and cables used for both the Saga and LB. Is this more of a system matching thing you think? When I use the same dac and cables with my Melody integrated it’s perfectly balanced.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #195 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 11:45 pm »

No imbalance on the HKP that I found.

wushuliu · « **Reply #196 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 11:47 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 11 Mar 2019, 11:02 pm

Thanks. Going back to the channel imbalance issue with certain passives, is it just a lack of synergy with some systems or is it the quality of the passive itself? I’ve had a Schiit Saga that has always had some amount of channel imbalance and recently it’s pretty bad where the left channel is around 3 db’s louder than the right at any volume level. I sent it to Schiit recently because the tube output was not working and told them about the left channel and when I got it back it still registers the 3 dB difference.

When I use a cheap Little Bear passive I get the right channel louder at around 1.5 dB. Same amp and dac and cables used for both the Saga and LB. Is this more of a system matching thing you think? When I use the same dac and cables with my Melody integrated it’s perfectly balanced.

Hopefully someone will chime in with the technical explanation but it's not synergy or quality so much as inherent limitation in typical volume pots, which usually use wipers. Getting the resistance to match on left and right especially at low volumes becomes difficult. Whereas Dact and stepped pots have closely matched resistor values at each step.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #197 on:** 11 Mar 2019, 11:56 pm »

Quote from: wushuliu on 11 Mar 2019, 11:47 pm

Hopefully someone will chime in with the technical explanation but it's not synergy or quality so much as inherent limitation in typical volume pots, which usually use wipers. Getting the resistance to match on left and right especially at low volumes becomes difficult. Whereas Dact and stepped pots have closely matched resistor values at each step.

Not technical, maybe the alps pot? My $1800 IFI Pro Ican preamp had an imbalance and it had an Alps Pot. But that was at very low volume settings.

wushuliu · « **Reply #198 on:** 12 Mar 2019, 12:03 am »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 11 Mar 2019, 11:56 pm

Not technical, maybe the alps pot? My $1800 IFI Pro Ican preamp had an imbalance and it had an Alps Pot.

Alps is a carbon wiper pot like most others. Every such pot I've used had some degree of imbalance. Some are better than others, and quality control can mitigate I presume but it's an issue regardless of brand, hence the popularity of DACT or chip based like pga2310 etc.

MttBsh · « **Reply #199 on:** 12 Mar 2019, 04:02 am »

I keep going back and forth on this. I'm currently using a Tortuga passive but am impressed by the fact that the Nobsound, Tisbury and especially the HKP beat it in listening tests. But like Tomy2Tone, I want a remote and was leaning towards a Saga, until Tomy2Tone mentioned the channel imbalance issue his has - so does my Tortuga. The one passive that I've read nothing but praise for, and that includes a remote for under a grand is the Luminous Audio Axiom II with the Walker mod, mentioned earlier in this thread. It seems to be really strong in all of the areas tat are important to me. I'm thinking that will be my next purchase, although it won't be until after a 3 month home remodel that starts in 2 weeks.